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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. race — the arms race
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. foot — a measure
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — in music
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — of ice
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. sharp — clever
  14. race — humankind
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. race — a contest
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cap — a hat
  24. foot — the bottom

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com